Astraphobia
by Durbe the Barian
Summary: A short oneshot revealing Kaito's greatest fears in the manga. (If you don't like the manga or haven't caught up, chances are you shouldn't be reading this. Spoilers.)


**Astraphobia**

**Angst**

**Kaito**

**Kaito's greatest fear isn't losing Haruto. Okay, it is, but this one's just as scary. **

**(If I owned this stuff, you'd know. Trust me.)**

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Astraphobia

Kaito hated the thunder. He never understood why. It had been that way since he was a small child. Even before Haruto was born, as soon as the thunder would clap, he'd duck and cover as quickly as he could. Once, Faker had found him sound asleep under his bed. (Not the prettiest sight for anybody.)

The thunder taunted Kaito whenever it found the chance. It would point out his weaknesses and his faults and had never once failed to send shivers up his spine. When Haruto was pulled away from him by Heartland, the thunder clapped nonstop for several hours, leaving Kaito paralyzed on the ground in fear and anger.

Fear of the thunder.

Anger at himself for letting Haruto get taken away.

When Kaito had finally found his brother after months of searching, he couldn't believe his eyes. His precious little brother, the only person he could consider family anymore, could no longer recognize him. "Who are you?" was the very first question that the young bluenette asked him.

Who are you?

A terrible question for Kaito to hear.

The thunder clapped again and lightning flashed behind Haruto. Kaito ran over to his brother and demanded an explanation from his kidnapper, Heartland. What Heartland told him was traumatizing.

Haruto was gone.

The thunder clapped again, causing Kaito to increase his hold on his brother. He had no intention of doing something so childish. It happened out of instinct. Fortunately, Kaito had experience when it came to hiding his fears and problems. Even Faker, their father, had no idea that Kaito suffered from astraphobia. (Faker assumed he'd grown out of it when he turned 12.) With his pale hand on the back of Haruto's head, he yelled at Heartland, demanding that he'd change Haruto back to the sweet, innocent child he used to be.

The child that played with butterflies when he felt like it.

The child that woke up before the sun did on Christmas day and would jump on Kaito until he too awoke.

The child that put ice in the back of his pajama shirt in the event that he failed to wake up at the proper time.

The child who'd sneak out of bed and give Kaito a heart attack while hiding in the closet.

Not the child before him, who could squash butterflies without so much as a second thought.

Heartland threw Kaito's plea out the window. He said that it was impossible to change Haruto back, as his soul was no longer there. However, as if he'd been practicing that moment, he quickly corrected himself, saying there was a way to help him.

Only one.

And that was to collect Numbers. One hundred of them to be precise.

The thunder clapped again. The lightning appeared behind Heartland.

But Kaito was no longer paying attention. He clenched his teeth and looked up to Heartland.

He'd made his decision.

"Fine."

So for three months, he polished his dueling skills. He had heard that those with Numbers would be powerful opponents. Not that it mattered. He wasn't going to lose. Not to anybody. If they had a Number, he was going to take it. His only regret was that he was going to be taking their souls with it.

Just like the thunder stole his feeling of safety.

Just like Heartland stole Haruto.

His heart fell at the realization of such a thing.

After Haruto got worse from using too much of his power, Kaito had met the Number Hunter, Thunder Spark.

The name alone was enough to make him wary around him.

But as soon as he shook his hand, Kaito felt a bolt of lightning go through his body before everything went black. After he recovered from that meeting, Kaito promised himself he'd never so much as come within twelve feet of Thunder Spark again.

He spent most of his time around Haruto in the large bedroom they gave to the twelve year old boy. The thunder would come again, and Kaito would bury his face in the mattress that Haruto was sleeping on. His facade was starting to slip. He knew that. But he'd only let it slip when the vile man he was working for wasn't in the room. That included the security cameras that where placed in Haruto's room. (Not to mention Kaito's. In Heartland Tower, there's no such thing as privacy in any place except the bathroom.) The only reason he let it fall was because of the curtains that surrounded Haruto's bed.

The thunder clapped again, taunting Kaito in any way it could.

And again, Kaito buried his face. He didn't want anyone, least of all, Haruto, to see him weak.

Not now.

Not ever.

The storm had passed outside.

But Haruto was gone.

That spider took him away.

Now Kaito had to find him, even though the lightning and thunder were roaring in his heart. He had to find him.

No storm could stop him from finding his brother and seeing him smile again.

Nothing would.

FIN

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**D.T.B: Done! [huff, huff, huff] Okay, explanation time. I got the idea for this little thing after reading about Kaito's past again. If you look in the background, when something bad is happening to Kaito in the past, there's thunder and lightning. **

**Kaito: Are you trying to ruin my reputation?**

**D.T.B: Oh, you're back. I was starting to think you hated me.**

**Haruto: What storm were you talking about? There wasn't any storm after the whole past thing.**

**D.T.B: I think we can include his whole crazy duel with Hishakaku. That light from Galaxy-Eyes sure looked like something was happening. **

**Kaito: You're insane.**

**D.T.B: You are not the first to say that. Anyway, sayonara.**


End file.
